Shovel.



G. W. FLEGK.

ISHOVEL.

APPLICATION FILED APE.23, 1906.

THE NORRIS PETERS co wasmuoromm. c.

PATENIED JULY '24; 1906.

PATENT OFFICE.

' GEORGE W. FLECK, OF BARNHILL, OHIO.

SAHOVEL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 24, 1906.

Application filed April 23, 1906. Serial No. 313,261.

To aZZ whom it may concern: Be it known that I, GEORGE W. FLEoK, acitizen of the United States, residing at Barnhill, in the county ofTuscarawas and State of Ohio, have invented new and useful Improvementsin Shovels, of which the following is a specification.

My invention pertains to shovels; and it contemplates the provision of ashovel having an auxiliary handle-bar so arranged relative to theordinary handle-bar that the user is enabled to manipulate the shoveland lift a load on the blade thereof without the imposition of unduestrain on his back and is also enabled to take hold of the shovel closerto the blade and the weight thereon than with any form of handle extant.

Other advantageous features of the invention will be fully understoodfrom the following description and claims when the same are read inconnection with the accompanying drawings, forming part of thisspecification, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of the shovelconstituting the preferred embodiment of my invention. Fig. 2 is aperspective view of a modified shovel constructed in accordance with myinvention, and Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail section illustrating themeans which I prefer to employ for connecting the auxiliary andle-bar tothe ordinary handle-bar and for holding the said bars at the properdistance apart.

Referring by letter to the said drawings, and more particularly to Figs.1 and 3 thereof, A is a shovel-blade which may be of the ordinaryconstruction or of any other construction compatible with my inventionand is preferably made of metal, and B is an ordinary handle-bar. Thesaid handle-bar B is preferably of wood and is connected to the blade Ain the usual or any other approved manner.

C is my novel auxiliary handle-bar, which is also preferably of wood.The said auxiliary handle-bar C is arranged above and in the plane ofthe handle-bar B throughout the length of the straight rear portion ofthe latter and isfixedly connected to the said handlebar B, preferablythrough the medium of bolts D, which extend through the bars B and C andhave their ends upset against the same, as indicated by a, and tubularblocks E, preferably of Wood, arranged on the bolts D and between thetwo bars, the office of the cribed to the latter.

said tubular blocks E being to hold the bars B and C at the properdistance apart and in fixed relation to each other. the auxiliaryhandle-bar O terminates in a handhold F, and this latter preferablyextends in rear of the ordinary handle-bar B, as illustrated.

It will be gathered from the foregoing that a person using my novelshovel is enabled by grasping the auxiliary handle-barC to manipulatethe shovel and lift a load on the blade thereof without stooping to anundue extent and without placing undue strain on his back and is alsoenabled to take hold of the shovel at a point close to the blade and theweight thereon, as is always desirable. It will also At its rear end begathered that inasmuch as the shovel comprises two handle-bars the barsmay be made smaller in cross-section than the handle-bars of ordinaryshovels, and hence may be more easily gripped.

In the modified construction shown in Fig. 2 a plain auxiliaryhandle-bar O is employed and the handhold F is provided on the rear endof the ordinary handle-bar B. In all other respects, however, themodified construction of Fig. 2 is similar to the embodiment shown inFig. 1 and is possessed of practically all of the advantageshereinbefore as- It may be said, however, that the embodiment shown .inFig. 1 is calculated to give the reatest satisfaction unless theordinary hand e-bar is possessed of considerable raise.

Notwithstanding the practical advantages possessed by my novel shovel,it will be noted that the same may be made almost if not quite ascheaply as an ordinary shovel; also, that my novel shovel is notappreciably heavier than an ordinary shovel. It will further be notedthat when the embodiment shown in Fig. 2 is resorted to my improvementsmay' be readily applied to shovels at present on the market or in use.

I have specifically described the construction and relative arrangementof the parts embraced in the present and preferred embodiments of myinvention in order to impart a definite understanding of the saidembodiments. I do not desire, however, to be understood as confiningmyself to the specific construction and relative arrangement or parts,as such changes or modifications may e made in practice as fairly fallwithin the scope of my claimed invention.

l-la'vi-ng described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is

1. A shovel comprising a blade, a handle- 5 bar fixed thereto, and anauxiliary handlebar extending in the direction of the length of thehandle-bar at a sli ht distance above same and from a point a jacent tothe blade to a point adjacent to the rear end of the handle-bar andfixedly connected at its ends to said handle-bar.

2. A shovel comprising a blade a handlebar fixed thereto, and anauxiliary handlebar extending in the direction of the length of thehandle-bar at a sli ht distance above same and from a point a jacent tothe blade to a point adjacent to the rear end of the handle-bar andfixedly connected at its ends to said handle-bar and terminating at itsrear end in a handhold.

3. A shovel comprising a blade, a handlebar connected thereto, anauxiliary handlebar extending in the direction of the length of thehandle-bar and arranged at a slight distance from the same, boltsextendin through and connecting the end ortions o the two bars, andblocks mounte 0n the bolts and interposed between the bars.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

GEORGE W. FLECK.

Witnesses:

JOHN S. GRAHAM, JOHN L. KENNEDY. 1

